The intern who created a new job

03/24/2017

Sage Miller was one of the winter quarter students in BIS 495, the internship course taught by Loren Redwood in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences. They “combined passion with academic pursuit,” Redwood says. By the end of the quarter, four of her 12 students had jobs.

By Douglas Esser
Sage Miller’s internship turned into a project he’ll direct over the next two years with an annual budget of $125,000.

Majoring in community psychology with a minor in public policy (’17), Miller, below, says he was well-suited for the internship to create a database compiling 150 nonprofit social service providers in north Seattle.

That position grew out of an annual networking conference held by the University Family YMCA in Seattle's University District. Associate Executive Director Matt Jarrell says the city of Seattle is funding the project to turn the database into a searchable website.

“Because of his hard work and education from UW Bothell, Sage was the right person to carry out that work in a full-time role,” Jarrell says. “We didn’t have to look any further because we had a great candidate in front of us.”

Called the North Seattle Network, it will be a first in Seattle, says Jarrell. With different languages and accessibility features designed for new Americans, it will operate as a searchable online map. Type in the service you need, the program identifies the providers and shows you where they are on a map and how to get there. The website also will have a mobile application.

Miller’s new job title is community outreach and development coordinator for the North Seattle Network. He’ll collaborate with technical experts to complete the website and app. In 10 years he sees himself as an executive director of a nonprofit.

“I feel I’ve grown more this quarter doing this internship than any other time at University of Washington Bothell. I had a great experience here, but just being able to be in the real world and being able to work like that is a great learning experience. “

Miller is very familiar with the community side of this community based work. The University Family YMCA is his family’s YMCA. It’s the gym where he played growing up, the center for his after school programs and the place where he has volunteered. Now it’s the place where he’s working to help others.